This invention relates generally to closures for containers, and more particularly to a sanitary cover for containers for beverages such as pop-top cans and the like.
Pop-top aluminum cans are widely used as containers for beverages. Pop-top cans have a number of well known advantages, included among which are their light weight, low cost, and ability to be recycled. They also have one significant disadvantage for the consumer of beverages and similar products. The top of the can gets dirty. When the can is opened, a portion of the pop-top closure projects into the can, and this may introduce contaminants into the beverage. Moreover, the structure of a pop-top can is such that contaminants from the outside of the can around the top are actually washed into the contents as the beverage is being consumed. Cleaning the top of the can, as by wiping it, before opening the can is often inconvenient, especially when the can comes from a vending machine, and is generally ineffective. At present, there is no way of preventing the top of the can from becoming dirty, and the only way to prevent contamination of the contents is to clean the top thoroughly before the can is opened. This problem is not limited to pop-top aluminum cans, but is shared by other types of containers.
There exists a need for a cover for containers of consumable beverages or other food products and the like which avoids the foregoing problem by providing a clean sanitary area around the opening of the container to avoid contamination of the contents of the container. It is to these ends that the present invention is directed.